LIVE - Bright Eyes

This is the seventh time i’ve seen Bright Eyes and they’ve never let me down yet, tonight they play a set full of Cassadega songs with a few other gems thrown in. This incarnation see’s a 12 piece band including a string & horn section and 2 female drummers and the whole band is dressed entirely in white. Infact compared to previous shows this is a much more visual show, they play in front of large screens which at first we think are showing video’s until Conor Oberst points out it is infact a guy in the sound desk projecting live visuals he’s creating up onto the screens, it’s very well done. ‘make a plan to love me from’ from a Cassadega is particularly beautiful, played gently and softly, plaintive country beauty that reminds me of Gram Parsons, ‘first day of my life’ from wide awake, is beefed up by the large band, and we are treated to a couple of unexpected older songs, the calendar hung itself from fevers & mirrors and i believe in symmetry from digital ash. The highlight is the superb ‘soul singer in a session band’, which Conor introduces “this song is for anyone who wanted to be a belly dancer but wound up a coalminer”. Musically this is probably the best show I’ve seen Bright Eyes perform, it’s rich and textured and tight and one of Conor’s most uplifting shows.

Jon tohellwith

www.thisisbrighteyes.com